Strong trend not discouraging public bettors on Jets-49ers battle
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The Super Bowl loser is on a 4-20 slide against the spread in Week 1 since 2000.
Despite that trend, which could discourage some bettors from backing the 49ers over the Jets on “Monday Night Football,” sportsbooks still expect the betting public to be on San Francisco.
The 49ers are consensus 4-point home favorites seven months after they lost 25-22 in overtime to the Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas.
“We’re going to be huge Jets fans,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said.
Westgate SuperBook vice president Jay Kornegay also expects to need New York.
“I think it will be a
sharps versus the public game,” he said. “I think the sharps will be on the Jets, and the public will be on San Francisco.
“I know the public also likes the Jets, so it’s not going to be landslide wagering support for San Francisco.”
The total is 43½, and the Jets are +170 on the money line.
There has been quite a bit of movement on this game since the line opened in May. The Niners, who were as high as 6-point favorites, were 3.5-point favorites (-112) at the SuperBook on Sunday night.
“We were at 5½. Then it drops all the way down to 3½ when you had Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk holding out and Christian McCaffrey hurt. It just kept dropping and dropping,” SuperBook oddsmaker Ed Salmons said. “Then we saw McCaffrey practicing and Trent Williams signed, so we moved it to 4. That game should get tremendous action.”
New York quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 40, returns after tearing his Achilles tendon four snaps into last season.
“I’m looking forward to see what Rodgers actually looks like. Hopefully he’ll make it through the game and be healthy,” Salmons said. “The Jets have a good defense. Now it’s up to their offense.”
